A Spirit-led Lent

by Msgr. Charles M. Mangan

From Catholicexchange.com

Today is Ash Wednesday. The Church commences her forty days' pilgrimage that leads to Easter Sunday and the empty tomb. Some who write about Lent readily acknowledge that “these forty days” of prayer, self-denial and almsgiving, which should be seen as a unique opportunity to draw closer to the Lord, often inspire an irrational fear in the hearts of the faithful.

I admit that especially in the past, the mere thought of Lent evoked in me a sense of dread — even if not manifested exteriorly. Although Lent is not only dedicated to doing bodily penance, that element usually looms largest for many disciples of Jesus. Given that our human nature resists discipline, this may well be a factor in any reaction against Lent within us.

I have wondered on Ash Wednesday whether I can continue the Lenten discipline that I crafted. “Can I really go forty days without candy . . . Coca-Cola . . . dessert?

Those mortifications can be excellent. But I must remember that Lent isn’t about my anticipated feats designed to show how strong and persistent I am. Rather, Lent is about opening myself to Christ so that finally He can work in me as He has always wanted. Yes, I should devise a plan that includes more intense prayer, self-denial and acts of charity. Yet, I need to remain receptive to the Holy Spirit Who may be trying to lead me in another direction from the one I select.

Although I begin these six weeks somewhat intimidated by the prospect of how the unknown of human frailty may surface in me, within a few days I see what I had suspected: with God’s grace I can make a break with those extraneous things in my life.

And as Holy Week dawns, I will confess that there is so much in my life I can put aside. Lent always demonstrates to me that life needn’t be complicated and that I can live with much less.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (1090-1153), penned a prayer for Lent centuries ago that spoke of the confidence in the Lord that he desired. Such trust in God is what we need as we start Lent.

“Let me hold fast You, Lord, Whom the Angels themselves yearn to look upon. Wherever You go, I will follow You. If You pass through fire, I will not flinch; I fear no evil when You are with me. You carry my griefs, because You grieve for my sake. You passed through the narrow doorway from death to life, to make it wide enough for all to follow. Nothing can ever separate me from Your love.”

We need not be afraid. The Messiah Who invites us to walk with Him in His passion will accompany us to the grave where we will rise with Him.

Prayer . . . penance . . . charity . . . this is the path that Jesus chose almost 2,000 years ago. We take the identical way. The Father rewarded Christ for His fidelity. May we receive the same prize that the Risen Lord earned: victory over sin and death, which one day will blossom into everlasting peace in Heaven.